Fat Side wrote:https://www.perthnow.com.au/sport/west-coast-eagles/west-coast-eagles-ruck-duo-nic-naitanui-and-scott-lycett-itching-to-return-according-to-stoppage-coach-nathan-van-berlo-ng-b88730295z

Naitanui (knee) and Lycett (shoulder-knee) played just one game between them in 2017 but are both expected to be strong contributors this season.

I'm confident both will play out most of the season. But Natanui has missed an entire year and Lycett has been injured the last 2. it will take both of them a month to get going but after that watch out.

A 50% natanui/Lycett combination would still beat a Petrie/vardy combination for ruck dominance.

However i really, really dont know how we will go this year..but im excited to see Ryan and Rioli at the feet of darling & kennedy, Sheed & redden spending more time in the middle with the inclusion of Ah Chee.

Fat Side wrote:https://www.perthnow.com.au/sport/west-coast-eagles/west-coast-eagles-ruck-duo-nic-naitanui-and-scott-lycett-itching-to-return-according-to-stoppage-coach-nathan-van-berlo-ng-b88730295z

Naitanui (knee) and Lycett (shoulder-knee) played just one game between them in 2017 but are both expected to be strong contributors this season.

I'm confident both will play out most of the season. But Natanui has missed an entire year and Lycett has been injured the last 2. it will take both of them a month to get going but after that watch out.

A 50% natanui/Lycett combination would still beat a Petrie/vardy combination for ruck dominance.

However i really, really dont know how we will go this year..but im excited to see Ryan and Rioli at the feet of darling & kennedy, Sheed & redden spending more time in the middle with the inclusion of Ah Chee.

Its going to be a different dynamic this season.

I'm also looking forward to seeing Venables. Supposedly a Shuey clone and thought of highly. Missed an entire season so we effectively have an extra first round pick starting at the club this year. If he is half as good as the club thought he was a year ago then he will be a good addition.A midfield with Shuey and Venables should have some class. Redden (I believe) will slip nicely into the Priddis role without someone looking over his shoulder. Sheed has become a good solid mid and Yeo should add some bulk and class as well.It could be a surprising year, or a disaster.I just hope that all that currency we spent in the draft actually gets some game time (and not at EP). If last year showed us anything, it showed that we have some class, but not enough and definitely not enough pace.

MrWoollie wrote:I'm also looking forward to seeing Venables. Supposedly a Shuey clone and thought of highly. Missed an entire season so we effectively have an extra first round pick starting at the club this year. If he is half as good as the club thought he was a year ago then he will be a good addition.

There is an interesting discussion taking place in regards to the NBA and how a few (Ben Simmons, Joel Embiid now but even going back to Blake Griffin) players have missed their rookie season and it has actually improved them as they have been able to adjust to the systems and training without the pressure of playing. I think we may find Venables to be more ready to go than we think.

West Coast will put the X-factor into AFLX next week, as they prepare to unveil freakish forward talents Willie Rioli and Liam Ryan, as well as speed machine Jack Petruccelle, in the concept‚Äôs debut tournament in Adelaide.

The Eagles are planning to field a rookie line-up almost exclusively made up of first and second-year players for the February 15 event and exciting trio Rioli, Ryan and Petruccelle have been slated to make their first appearances in club colours.

West Coast will put the X-factor into AFLX next week, as they prepare to unveil freakish forward talents Willie Rioli and Liam Ryan, as well as speed machine Jack Petruccelle, in the concept‚Äôs debut tournament in Adelaide.

The Eagles are planning to field a rookie line-up almost exclusively made up of first and second-year players for the February 15 event and exciting trio Rioli, Ryan and Petruccelle have been slated to make their first appearances in club colours.

‚ÄúI think Luke Shuey, Jack Redden and Andrew Gaff, these guys are all strong leaders of our footy club and I think they can help share the load. But I think Luke Shuey will lead the way in the midfield and I‚Äôm sure when things aren‚Äôt going well I‚Äôll be on the phone to him when he‚Äôs on the bench to say, ‚ÄėOkay, what's going on down there?‚Äô.

‚ÄúJeremy McGovern has been coming up with defensive drills to help everyone defend, hopefully, half as well as he can,‚ÄĚ he revealed.